Study abroad at Philadelphia

Philadelphia (known affectionately as 'Philly' and 'The City of Brotherly Love') is the historic birthplace of the United States and a booming global biomedical, pharmaceutical, legal, financial, and higher education powerhouse situated along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers in southeastern Pennsylvania, located just 90 minutes by direct Amtrak express train from Downtown Manhattan / New York City and 2 hours from Washington, D.C. Celebrated for Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed - UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Liberty Bell, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (famous for the 'Rocky Steps'), Reading Terminal Market (America's oldest continuously operating farmers market), and its status as 'Cellicon Valley' (the global capital for gene therapy and cell therapy biotech breakthroughs, anchored by the University City Science Center - the first and largest urban research park in the US). Philadelphia is home to an elite cluster of world-renowned universities: University of Pennsylvania (Penn - founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, prestigious Ivy League member ranked #11 in the United States by US News & World Report and #11 in the world by QS with over 28,000 students on a historic 299-acre campus in University City, boasting 36 Nobel laureates, the Wharton School of Business - consistently ranked the #1 business school in the world, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Engineering, and Penn Carey Law), alongside Drexel University (renowned for one of America's premier mandatory Co-op experiential learning programs placing students at Fortune 500 multinationals worldwide), Temple University (Fox School of Business and Lewis Katz School of Medicine), Thomas Jefferson University, and Saint Joseph's University. Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from Penn's need-blind/need-met financial aid, generous Drexel/Temple merit scholarships ($10,000 to $25,000/year), SEPTA subway/rail transit, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Philadelphia depend on the institution: at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania (Ivy League / Wharton), tuition is approximately $63,500 to $66,000 per academic year (with Penn meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with university grants for all admitted undergraduate students). At Drexel University and Temple University, international undergraduate tuition ranges between $34,500 and $56,500 per academic year for Engineering, Computer Science, Fox/LeBow Business, and Biomedical Sciences (with Drexel and Temple awarding generous automatic International Merit Scholarships discounting $10,000 to $25,000/year from tuition for qualified applicants). Postgraduate Master's degrees range from $22,000 to $42,000 per year. Modern on-campus university residences (Penn: Lauder College House, Gutmann College House, The Quad; Drexel: Chestnut Square, Millennium Hall, Summit) cost between $850 and $1,450 per month (inclusive of meal plans, utilities, and high-speed Wi-Fi), while off-campus student apartments in University City, Center City, and Powelton Village range from $650 to $1,150 per month for shared flats. General monthly living expenses range between $850 and $1,450 (significantly more affordable than New York City).

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship and grant awards), International Student and Scholar Services (Penn ISSS / Drexel ISSS) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization across Philadelphia, New York, and nationwide).